


King Dad

by Lydia_E_Nheers



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Arthur is a good son, Gen, MJN Air Is A Family, Paternal Douglas, a little angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-15
Packaged: 2018-07-15 07:18:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7213114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lydia_E_Nheers/pseuds/Lydia_E_Nheers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Father's day, and Douglas receives a gift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	King Dad

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted from a picture of a King Dad Toblerone on Tumblr. Saw it, and this fell out. Hope you enjoy.
> 
> Not Brit-picked and written on my phone.

"Night, Douglas" Herc smiled and gave a quick wave as he headed for the door to the portakabin, where Douglas knew Carolyn was waiting to pick them up in her car. She hadn't accompanied the three of them on a quick trip to Paris and back. "See you tomorrow"

"Cheerio. See you tomorrow then" Douglas smiled back as Herc left and he shrugged on his coat.

"Douglas?" Arthur asked from directly behind him. He startled, not expecting the steward to be right there. Then he realized Arthur's voice was soft and had a distinct note of nervousness.

"Oh hello, Arthur" Douglas turned around to see the steward standing right behind him. His hands were behind his back and he looked...shy. Fidgety almost. Not himself. "I thought you'd be off home with Herc and your mum"

"Well. I am. Well. I mean. I asked my mum earlier if she wouldn't mind waiting for me for a moment after we land. And now we have landed, so now she's waiting in the car. For me." He scratched the back of his head with one hand, eyes to the floor. And he still kept his other hand behind his back.

"Well? What is it then?" Douglas' curiosity was piqued. It wasn't like Arthur to be at all nervous. In fact, he rather thought the boy had an... _enthusiastic_ way with people. Especially those he knew well.

"Well..er..it's just that today is Sunday"

" _Yes_ , Arthur. I know. Happens every week as a matter of fact."

"Yes, of course. Stupid. I mean.." He cleared his throat. "It's the nineteenth. Of June I mean."

"Yes. And?" He asked, raising a single eyebrow.

"It's. It's father's day, you know"

"Ahh. Is it?" Douglas replied nonchalantly. Or at least feigning it. He knew very well it was Father's day. And he knew he'd be spending the rest of it alone.

Verity would call. Perhaps round seven or eight. And they'd have a limping, falsely cheerful conversation about school, and sport, and Douglas would teasingly ask her about boys and she would feign indignation.

He loved his daughter with all of his heart, but he wasn't there much when she was small. And now that she was in her early teens, and her mother (Douglas' first wife) had remarried. A software engineer named Mark. And Mark attended all of her football games and helped her with her homework and kissed her goodnight every night and did all of the things Douglas couldn't, but so desperately wanted to. She visited occasionally, when Douglas' schedule allowed it. But theirs was a strained relationship, and the visits were not often. Even when he schedule did allow it. So he had resigned himself to having that awkward yet cherished and looked forward to phone call, and spending the rest of the evening alone, trying to forget what day it was.

"Well." Arthur cleared his throat awkwardly. "Today's father's day, and well. My dad is...Gordon is..." He visibly struggled to find the right words and Douglas gently laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about him. He's a right old sod and he got what he deserved. Certainly doesn't deserve you as a son" while that was completely true, Douglas had no idea why Arthur was bringing it up. "You don't need to acknowledge him if you don't want"

"I just wanted to...I just wanted to give you this" Arthur finally brought his hand out from behind his back and handed Douglas a slightly soft, triangular, gold wrapped chocolate bar.

"A Toblerone" he smiled. "Thank you. But..why...?" He looked at the large print on the foil and felt the wind being knocked out of him. In big, red letters were the words "KING DAD". He sucked in a breath and blinked, taking in what Arthur was trying to say without words. "Arthur. Thank you."

Arthur finally looked up, his huge, expressive, brown eyes shining. "I know it's stupid. I mean. I'm thirty one. But...you've been more a dad to me than my da... _Gordon_ " he spat out the name like it disgusted him, and for a split second, Douglas saw his mother's fire in Arthur's eyes. After an instant, it was gone and Arthur went on. "I wish you were my dad. And well. I wanted...to let you know. Today"

"It's not stupid" Douglas felt his eyes pricking at then corners and he willed himself not to cry in front of the boy. "It's not...thank you."

Arthur stepped in closer and without thinking about it, Douglas closed the distance and wrapped him in a tight hug. "This means more to me than you know. And I'd be proud to have you as a son. Thank you Arthur" his voice was heavy and low.

He didn't answer back, but he gripped Douglas' back with a strength he didn't know that the younger man possessed and just held on. Douglas knew then in that moment how much they both needed that.

Suddenly, the loud blaring of a car horn made them break the embrace. Arthur's cheeks were wet and he hastily wiped them with the heel of his hand. "That'll be mum"

"Undoubtedly" Douglas gave a watery chuckle and wiped his own eyes which were absolutely _not_ streaming. Not at all.

Arthur put on his coat and got out his keys to lock the portakabin behind them as Douglas walked out in front.

"Thank you, Arthur. Really." he slipped the bar into his pocket. He didn't care for Toblerones really. But he'd throw the chocolate out when he got home, but the label...the label he'd keep forever. He turned to head for his car. 

"You're welcome." Arthur smiled, a sunny, bright smile at Douglas' back. "Oh, and Douglas?"

Douglas turned back to face him. "Yes?"

 "Happy Father's day."


End file.
